Perfect Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

I love holiday baking. It’s one of my favorite ways to gift hostesses, neighbors, teachers, anyone. However, with so many helpers in the kitchen, things don’t always go smoothly:

The most common mishap is too much or not enough of some ingredient, too many cooks in the kitchen ruin concentration. The other is the ever-dreaded stuck in the pan. We have two go-to hostesses gifts that we like to bring, the Best Ever Bake Sale Banana Bread and a Sour Cream Coffee Cake {aka the Perfect Christmas Morning Coffee Cake}. They make great hostesses gifts because they can choose to serve them as part of dessert or save them for breakfast the next day. We have gotten lots of thank yous for having a delicious breakfast all ready for our hostess after a big holiday meal.

Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

This recipe is a tried and true recipe from an old Betty Crocker book we have from our parents. Note, despite my family’s love for the above-pictured cake, it does not usually so much sugar! The toddler helped make a bit too much filling. When giving this as a gift or not eating until the next day, save the icing. I usually add a recipe card if given as a gift or make the icing fresh on Christmas morning. The icing is best put on right before you eat it, or else it’s just a bit sweet and soggy.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Brown Sugar Filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Make brown sugar filling by mixing all the ingredients; set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the bowl.  Beat about one-fourth of the flour mixture and sour cream at a time alternately into sugar mixture at a low speed until well blended.
4. Grease/spray your pan in your preferred method*
5. for angel food or bundt cake pans, spread one-third of the batter (about 2 cups) in the pan, then sprinkle with one-third of the filling; repeat twice. You can also make this in loaf pans. Just use only about 1 1/2 cups before the filling and don’t repeat.
6. Bake cake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.
7. Serve warm or cool with Vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

Mix all the ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

Enjoy Christmas morning with hot coffee and the soft glow of lights. It”s worth getting up before the kids for!

Want more easy and fun recipes? Find all our favorite recipes here.